AUTHOR’S ESTATE

Taranaki Daily News, 24 November 1934, Page 23 (Supplement)

AUTHOR’S ESTATE

APPEAL OF MISTRESS ALLOWED.

WILL OF LATE ARNOLD BENNETT.

By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright.

London, Nov. 21.

The appeal, of Miss Dorothy Cheston Bennett, mistress of the late Arnold Bennett, the famous author, against. Mr, Justice Clauson’s judgment concerning a claim by Mrs. Bennett involving gifts in favour of Miss Bennett was allowed. Lord Hanworth stated that the covenant under which the author’s wife was allotted after her husband’s death £5OOO and two-thirds of the capital balance remaining in the estate, left Arnold Bennett free to deal with the property during his life time. It was' right that he should make provision for Miss Cheston Bennett’s child. Mr. Justice Romer agreed that Miss Cheston Bennett was given as ’absolute property the novelist’s journals, which had a sentimental value to her apart from their pecuniary worth. Mrs. Bennett originally claimed that several gifts in favour of Miss Bennett (formerly Miss Dorothy Cheston) should be set aside. She estimated that. his gifts to Miss Bennett were securities £7900, copyrights £4220 and manuscripts £7500. She did not wish to disturb the settlement, whereby Mr. Bennett’s child benefited. Mr. Justice Clauson dismissed that part of the action and added in the course of his judgment that testator clearly contemplated that though Miss Bennett was to be the owner of the copyright in certain of his plays, the manuscripts and the income from them would remain his during his life time. The widow’s claim to stocks and securities, given Miss Bennett was dismissed. The copyright in the testator’s journal and manuscripts were treated, as part of the estimate. Miss Bennett paid threefifths of the widow’s costs. Miss Bennett appealed from this decision. '